Write Yourself a Valentine’s Day Card – Ideas for Self Care This 14th February

As we head towards Valentine’s Day 2021, we’re also getting ever closer to the first anniversary of the last time things felt normal. It has been a tough year for everyone, trying to negotiate working from home, homeschooling, furlough, social distancing and not seeing our friends and families. That is why this Valentine’s Day, I’m urging you to show not only others your love, but to show some to yourself as well.

Keep reading to find out more ideas for self care on what will be the strangest Valentine’s Day in recent memory. 

Why is Self Care Important?  

Self care, put simply, is the act of doing things that protect or improve your mental or physical health. In times of great stress, such as during this Covid-19 pandemic, it is so important to actively seek out activities that improve your wellbeing.

As helpful and rewarding as looking out for others can be, you cannot forget to be kind to yourself too. If your mental or physical health suffer, you cannot be the amazing spouse, partner, parent, child, colleague or neighbour you want to be. The better your physical and mental wellbeing, the happier you are and the more useful you can be for others too.

Self care can be anything from taking time out to exercise every day to booking in regular treat activities. I’d love to know what self care activities you currently enjoy. Send me a message through any of our social networks. Here are some suggestions this Valentine’s Day:  

Write Yourself a Valentine’s Card

Of course the traditional way to celebrate Valentine’s Day is to send your loved one a card. A beautifully designed item with a heartfelt message inside, detailing why they mean so much to you is so lovely to receive on the 14th February. But there is also nothing to stop you sending yourself one too.

In fact, sitting down and coming up with a list of reasons why you love yourself is a brilliant self care exercise. It might not normally be in your nature to do something like that, but that is even more reason to do it. In order to live your best life and be truly happy with who you are, you need to understand how amazing you are. It helps you understand why others think so much of you.

Writing yourself a Valentine’s card that no one else need ever see means you don’t have to be modest. You can really explore who you are and what makes you tick.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Browse our selection of Africa-inspired Valentine’s Day cards and order the one that you love the most.
   
   
2. Start writing the card by reminding yourself that you are perfect.
   
   
3. Celebrate what makes you special and unique.
   
   
4. Compliment something you are not happy with by finding a reason to love it. For example, rather than dwell on grey hairs as a sign of aging, celebrate how distinguished and wise they make you look.
   
   
5. Remind yourself how much you are loved.
   
   
6. Put it in the envelope and open it when you have five minutes to yourself on Valentine’s Day.

Create a Self Care Box For Yourself

Another way to celebrate and look after yourself on Valentine’s Day is to create a self care box. Put together some treats for yourself that will help you continue to practise self care all year round and gift the bundle to yourself.

This could include:

• A special mug to encourage you to take five minutes out from work, parenting, cleaning or whatever takes up your day and enjoy a nice, hot tea or coffee. Simply stopping and doing nothing for a short amount of time during your busy schedule can really help your mental health.
  
  
• A beautiful planner to organise your day or week. Noting down in advance the tasks you need to complete can help you plot a route through ticking them off. Without this visual representation of how your day will look and how you will complete everything you need to, it can start to feel chaotic and out of control. Planning is certainly a huge contributor to self care.
  
  
• Our She Believed She Could So She Did sweatshirt contains the perfect affirmation for positivity. Not only does it look great, but the message is so on point for anyone looking to inject some more self-esteem into their life.

Self Care Tips

Here are some great self care tips you can start to integrate into your everyday life:

• Do something every day that you enjoy.
• Try to get enough sleep.
• Eat well, but also allow yourself treats.
• Do things that make you laugh.
• Don’t try to do everything yourself.

Have a great Valentine's Day and make sure you look after yourself!